Understanding Trained Protection Dogs
By: Saharikenn K9 |

Personal Protection Dog
A personal protection dog is a dog that protects its handler from harm by another person. A trained personal protection dog is trained to apprehend a person by on command or threat to its handler. The dog must do this by intimidation, threat or bite work. The dog has complete obedience, sociability and control skills. Many personal protection and patrol dog will perform watchdog skills. A good personal protection dog is also a good family dog with some restrictions.
Guard Dog
A guard dog is a dog either by training or by temperament or lack of sociability works a fenced area by alerting to the presence of any persons. Although not all guard dogs will chase or apprehend persons who are inside the fenced area. A guard dog has no sociability skills and is not a good family companion. Some trained guard dog has obedience skills for their handler. A true guard dog is not recommended for a home situation.
Watch Dog
A watchdog is a dog that alerts its handlers to the presence of persons coming into its territory by barking or acting in an agitated manner. Many working and herding breeds show natural instinct in watchdog skills, but the obedience, sociability and control skills must be trained. A trained watchdog should be bark, threaten, and growl while on duty in a home, in an enclosure or on a running line. A trained watchdog will cease a guard situation on command or reduction of threat. A trained watchdog is sociable and completely obedience trained and is obedient and loyal to the handler. Many watchdogs make excellent family pets.
Patrol Dog
A patrol dog is a dog trained to search areas, alerts its handler to the presence of a stranger or suspect, apprehend persons on command, defend its handler upon threat or command and assist in transport of a person who is found. The dog is completely obedience trained with degrees of sociability and control. Most patrol dogs with sociability and control make excellent companions.
Police Dog
The Police Dog is an advanced personal protection dog. They are trained more extensively to different real life situations. They learn to walk on uneven and unstable ground, grating, jump over 6' fences, go under buildings, and chasing and biting the bad guy in various places from into a car to moving elevators and on crowded streets.
The Hold & Bark Protection Dog
The Hold & Bark Protection Dog is basically the same as a personal protection dog but without a bite. These dogs will hold a person in place by corning them or knocking them down and standing on them while barking in a monotone bark (one bark right after the other). They are trained to never bite in any situation. The use of muzzle agitation training is vital for these dogs so they will learn to not fear touching the bad guy and to knock them down correctly if the situation warrants the dog to do this procedure. During the muzzle agitation training the dogs are trained when to apply the knocking down procedure and when not to. With this type of protection dog there will not be any bite liability to worry about. To be sure the dog does not bite; underclothing protective gear is used in the training.